Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTechniquesWhat IPSRT Can Help WithBenefitsEffectivenessThings to ConsiderHow to Get Started

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Techniques

What IPSRT Can Help With

Benefits

Effectiveness

Things to Consider

How to Get Started

Close

Ellen Frank, PhD, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, is credited with founding this form of therapy.Dr. Frank’s theory was that relationship conflicts or disruptions in one’s daily routine can trigger mood episodes in people with mental health conditions.

For instance, you may have noticed thatnot getting enough sleepaffects your ability to concentrate and makes you feel tired and irritable.

Similarly, having a conflict with someone in your life can be destabilizing and affect your mood. Dr. Frank notes that most people recover from these disruptions fairly quickly; however, people who are vulnerable tomood disordersmay not be able to cope so easily.

“IPSRT focuses on stabilizing the person’s lifestyle," saysAimee Daramus, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist and author ofUnderstanding Bipolar Disorder. “The ‘interpersonal’ part focuses on building safe, healthy relationships and the ‘social rhythms’ part focuses on building a consistent daily routine.”

This article explores the techniques and benefits of IPSRT, as well as some steps to help you get started with this form of therapy.

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IPSRT Techniques

IPSRT can be performed in different settings:

IPSRT can be broadly categorized into three stages, which are outlined below.

Initial Stage

The healthcare provider works with the patient to understand their current mood state, any previous mood episodes they have experienced, and how their behaviors and relationships have changed with each episode.

For example, the therapist might help the patient realize that when they are experiencing depression, the patient isolates themselves and is not able to maintain their normal interpersonal relationships.

Together, the patient and healthcare provider narrow down aninterpersonalproblem area that will be the area of focus for treatment.

This stage encompasses the first several sessions of treatment and may involve multiple sessions per week.

Intermediate Stage

The patient maintains a chart on which they track all their daily rhythms, or social metrics, such as:

The healthcare provider reviews this chart with the patient at every weekly visit, with an aim toward building consistency and regularity. The healthcare provider may suggest more metrics to add to this list. This stage also focuses on developing coping skills to manage changes or disruptions to the daily rhythms, due to factors such as vacations.

Additionally, the patient and healthcare provider work on the interpersonal problem as well asbuilding confidenceand improving relationship skills.

Initially, the therapy sessions are conducted weekly, but they gradually taper off to once every two weeks or once a month during the later stages.

Final Stage

In the final stage, the patient and healthcare provider work towardterminating therapyor reducing the number of sessions even further.

IPSRT helps people whose habits or symptoms are causing disruptions in relationships or in basic self-care, says Dr. Daramus.

It was initially developed to help with the mood episodes associated withbipolar disorder; however, it is now also used to help with other mental health conditions, such asdepression,anxiety, andschizophrenia.

Additionally, Dr. Daramus says that IPSRT can be adapted for any problem in which the person may benefit from improving their relationships and daily rhythms in order to live a more stable lifestyle.

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Benefits of IPSRT

These are some of the things IPSRT can help with, according to Dr. Daramus:

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Effectiveness of IPSRT

Research shows that IPSRT can be helpful with the following mental health conditions:

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Things to Consider About IPSRT

“IPSRT doesn’t usually directly treat a disorder, such as bipolar disorder, but it helps create a solid basis for medications and other types of therapy to work,” Dr. Daramus explains.

Aimee Daramus, PsyDIPRST essentially helps regulate basic habits, which is not the same as fixing the overall problem.

Aimee Daramus, PsyD

IPRST essentially helps regulate basic habits, which is not the same as fixing the overall problem.

Needing two forms of therapy may mean working with two different therapists. It also might mean spending double the time and money on therapy if your IPRST therapist is not able to provide another form of therapy or vice versa.

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How to Get Started With IPSRT

Dr. Daramus suggests some steps that can help you get started with IPSRT:

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A Word From Verywell

IPSRT is a form of therapy that focuses on improving relationships and daily routines, in order to improve mood, stability, and mental health. It can be especially helpful to people who have mental health conditions that make them prone to mood episodes, as they may be particularly vulnerable to the destabilizing effects of stressors, disruptions to their routine, andrelationship conflicts.

8 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.IPSRT.org.Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT).University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.Ellen Frank, PhD.Frank E, Swartz HA, Boland E.Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy: an intervention addressing rhythm dysregulation in bipolar disorder.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2007;9(3):325-332. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2007.9.3/efrankIPSRT.org.Background.Bonfils KA, Novick DM. Application of interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) for depression associated with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.Am J Psychother. 2021;74(3):127-134. doi:10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20200024Steardo L Jr, Luciano M, Sampogna G, et al.Efficacy of the interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) in patients with bipolar disorder: results from a real-world, controlled trial.Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2020;19:15. doi:10.1186/s12991-020-00266-7Goldstein TR, Fersch-Podrat R, Axelson DA, et al.Early intervention for adolescents at high risk for the development of bipolar disorder: pilot study of interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT).Psychotherapy (Chic). 2014;51(1):180-189. doi:10.1037/a0034396Haynes PL, Gengler D, Kelly M.Social rhythm therapies for mood disorders: an update.Curr Psychiatry Rep18, 75 (2016). doi:10.1007/s11920-016-0712-3

8 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.IPSRT.org.Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT).University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.Ellen Frank, PhD.Frank E, Swartz HA, Boland E.Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy: an intervention addressing rhythm dysregulation in bipolar disorder.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2007;9(3):325-332. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2007.9.3/efrankIPSRT.org.Background.Bonfils KA, Novick DM. Application of interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) for depression associated with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.Am J Psychother. 2021;74(3):127-134. doi:10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20200024Steardo L Jr, Luciano M, Sampogna G, et al.Efficacy of the interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) in patients with bipolar disorder: results from a real-world, controlled trial.Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2020;19:15. doi:10.1186/s12991-020-00266-7Goldstein TR, Fersch-Podrat R, Axelson DA, et al.Early intervention for adolescents at high risk for the development of bipolar disorder: pilot study of interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT).Psychotherapy (Chic). 2014;51(1):180-189. doi:10.1037/a0034396Haynes PL, Gengler D, Kelly M.Social rhythm therapies for mood disorders: an update.Curr Psychiatry Rep18, 75 (2016). doi:10.1007/s11920-016-0712-3

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

IPSRT.org.Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT).University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.Ellen Frank, PhD.Frank E, Swartz HA, Boland E.Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy: an intervention addressing rhythm dysregulation in bipolar disorder.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2007;9(3):325-332. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2007.9.3/efrankIPSRT.org.Background.Bonfils KA, Novick DM. Application of interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) for depression associated with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.Am J Psychother. 2021;74(3):127-134. doi:10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20200024Steardo L Jr, Luciano M, Sampogna G, et al.Efficacy of the interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) in patients with bipolar disorder: results from a real-world, controlled trial.Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2020;19:15. doi:10.1186/s12991-020-00266-7Goldstein TR, Fersch-Podrat R, Axelson DA, et al.Early intervention for adolescents at high risk for the development of bipolar disorder: pilot study of interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT).Psychotherapy (Chic). 2014;51(1):180-189. doi:10.1037/a0034396Haynes PL, Gengler D, Kelly M.Social rhythm therapies for mood disorders: an update.Curr Psychiatry Rep18, 75 (2016). doi:10.1007/s11920-016-0712-3

IPSRT.org.Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT).

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.Ellen Frank, PhD.

Frank E, Swartz HA, Boland E.Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy: an intervention addressing rhythm dysregulation in bipolar disorder.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2007;9(3):325-332. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2007.9.3/efrank

IPSRT.org.Background.

Bonfils KA, Novick DM. Application of interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) for depression associated with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.Am J Psychother. 2021;74(3):127-134. doi:10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20200024

Steardo L Jr, Luciano M, Sampogna G, et al.Efficacy of the interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) in patients with bipolar disorder: results from a real-world, controlled trial.Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2020;19:15. doi:10.1186/s12991-020-00266-7

Goldstein TR, Fersch-Podrat R, Axelson DA, et al.Early intervention for adolescents at high risk for the development of bipolar disorder: pilot study of interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT).Psychotherapy (Chic). 2014;51(1):180-189. doi:10.1037/a0034396

Haynes PL, Gengler D, Kelly M.Social rhythm therapies for mood disorders: an update.Curr Psychiatry Rep18, 75 (2016). doi:10.1007/s11920-016-0712-3

Hannah Owens, LMSW

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